Emergency

Jerry proudly displays photos and news clippings from his many years as a hunting guide on the wall of his kitchen. After many snowfalls, calm has settled in the forest. It’s a very different scene than in August of 2018 when residents of Lower Post were forced to flee from their homes.

With constant access to information, it can be easy to assume that we are getting a full picture of what is going on in the world. But there are stories that rarely make headlines, and when those stories impact millions of people they can represent an emergency.

Stephen stands next to a lone tree, only steps away from his home. One side of the tree is burned, while the other side appears to be untouched. It’s a reminder of just how close his home, just outside of Quesnel, was to being completely destroyed by the British Columbia Wildfires of 2017.
 

Since August 25, 2017, more than 700,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for Bangladesh. Dealing with a protracted crisis such as this is a complex operation, one that involves a host of different organizations. Effective coordination in the response is essential to ensure that supporting those most in need of humanitarian assistance remains the number one objective.

This is the story of a small guinea pig named Gertrude Rose who escaped a devastating house fire with her human. They are now slowly recovering thanks to the efforts of local fire and paramedics, the comfort they give each other and the support of the Canadian Red Cross.

Shawn Gervais and his family received two alerts on their cell phones before the tornado hit – one warned them of high winds, the next one told them to take shelter immediately. Now the family is recovering from the disaster, with help from the Canadian Red Cross. 

Many of you come to us during disasters with offers of support and donations, but also with questions about how the Red Cross helps in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. We hope this information will help in understanding what type of assistance we provide.

For the second time in a matter of months, Ebola once again threatens lives in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With an outbreak of Ebola in DRC’s North Kivu declared in August, fast response is needed to contain the disease’s devastation on communities already weakened by armed conflict. Canadian aid worker Jamie LeSueur has led the Ebola response operation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).